Up the little gravel path

AKAUp the little garden path sailing
Up the little garden path winding
First Published1918

Writer/composerHarry CastlingRoudRN32808

Music Hall PerformersCharles Whittle
Folk performancesCollected from the singing of:
Hirst, George; England: Dorset; 1987
Mister Green, the next door neighbour of mine,
He lives at number eight, I live at number nine.
From my bedroom window I can see
All that Mister Green does without him seeing me
From his little villa every night
Up the west heel Gailey Rome
When they close the pubs,
All the café's and the clubs
Like a good boy he comes home

Up the little gravel path sailing,
Clinging to the garden railing
Same old knocker, same old door
Same old Missus and the same old jaw
Two steps forward and three steps back,
Then you'll hear him  whisper low
"There's no place like home
When there's nowhere else to go"

Down the Square he comes, defiant and gay,
Singing Rule Britannia all the way
Backward, forward, on towards goal,
Nodding to the milkman, who swears he's up the pole
All the patriotic ditties he sings
And the birds join in the song
His wife up above,
Waiting for her turtle dove,
Sees the night bird stroll along...

Green will give his door a gentle rat tat
Soon after that he stretched out on the mat
Missis Greens out flanked him with the broom
Wrapt up in the blankets next morning in his room
"No more ginger ales and stopping out late"
To his wife I hear him roar
His doctor puts him right; 
Home he comes the following night
on the same old stunt once more…


A song written and composed by  Harry Castling , performed on the Music Hall stage by Charles R Whittle. The chorus was collected by Nick and Mally Dow from traditional singer and accordion player George Hirst in 1987, his version can be heard at the British library Sound Archive

Sources:

  • VWML entry
  • Kilgarrif Sing Us
  • Sheet Music and Lyrics: The John Bull Song and Dance Album (Herman Darewski Music Publishing, no date) p29 [personal collection]
  • Worldcat entry
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